Every July 4, Americans have less independence to celebrate.The country’s original principles preserved a certain degree of independence for the individual. But today, the US only pays lip service to those ideals.In light of Independence Day, I think we should consider an important question:What does real independence look like, and how can you achieve it?Anyone paying the slightest attention to the welfare/warfare state knows what it does not look like:• Confiscatory taxes at all levels.• The gutting of the Bill of Rights through the so-called Patriot Act, the National DefenseAuthorization Act, secret courts, executive orders, and indefinite detention.• The need to comply with an ever growing stack of regulations, edicts, and laws.• The militarization of the police.• Use of the IRS as a political weapon.• Assassination of US citizens without due process.• Indirect capital controls through FATCA.• Warrantless NSA spying.• Worldwide perpetual warfare with an undefined enemy.• Never-ending money printing and destructive “stimulus” efforts.• Ever expanding welfare programs.• Domestic use of drones.• Stealth taxation by inflation and a fiat monetary system.This is just a short synopsis of the current state of affairs. The list is far from exhaustive.Years ago, kids used to say, "Hey, it's a free country." You don't hear that much anymore.Unfortunately, the US government’s financial health will continue to deteriorate as it spends to support these unsustainable policies. This will only make the government even more desperate. Imagine what will happen then…Expect more government and less freedom all around.If history is any guide, it won’t be pretty. I strongly recommend securing an insurance policy before it's too late.Most people have medical, life, fire, and car insurance. You hope you never have to use these policies, but you have them anyway. They give you peace of mind and protect you if and when the worst does happen.International diversification is the ultimate insurance policy against an out-of-control government. Think of it as “freedom insurance.”It frees you from absolute dependence on any one country. Achieve that freedom, and it becomes very difficult for any group of bureaucrats to control you.The results can be life changing.For centuries, wealthy people around the world have used international diversification to effectively protect their money and their families. Now, thanks to modern technology, anyone can implement similar strategies.In many cases, you don’t even need to leave home to build your own “freedom insurance.”You can start by…• Moving some of your money into gold. It’s an inherently international asset not under the control of any government.• Moving some of your money into foreign bank accounts and cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.• Owning foreign real estate.• Obtaining a second passport.• Structuring your cash flows so you’re less dependent on any one country for your income. The goal is to create multiple sources of revenue from international investment opportunities and trends. Bonus diversification points if you do all this through your own offshore company domiciled in a favorable jurisdiction.• Moving your digital presence to a favorable foreign jurisdiction. This adds significant political diversification benefits. Your digital presence often includes your IP address (which often pinpoints you to a precise physical address), email account, online file storage, and the components of personal and business websites.Setting up your own “freedom insurance” is how you declare your personal independence. It ensures that no particular government can totally control your life.When you achieve that, you’ll know what real independence looks like.Until next time,

We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.